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After a long night of fitful sleep plagued by unpleasant dreams and waking moments marred with homesickness, Fiona had spent several hours in her room before, around noontime, succumbing to the need for food. She was visibly dissheveled, although her attidude still showed loudly in the strength of her shoulders, the sway of her feet, and the strength hidden in her eyes. Recovering from the past few unpleasant evenings, she had hurried to her food and then began to pursue something rather different. The girl spared hardly a glance around for witnesses (just the cafeteria lady, but she was always there) before heading to the cutlery trays. The tray balanced between a hand and her hip loaded with a salad and a plateful of various raw vegetables, Fiona carefully selected utensils that did not seem to suit her meal in the slightest. Serrated steak knifes of varying sizes and sharpness seemed to most catch her eye, and these she was in the process of pilfering away into bundles of napkins. She was, all in all, consumed with her work and oblivious to most else.

Nita, on the other hand, had slept very well, curled up with Lauren. She had slept in, finally awakened by the growling of her stomach. After showering quickly and leaving a brief note for Lauren, Nita made her way to the cafeteria.

Spying Fiona, she filled her tray and sat down. She cast a wary glance at all the knives and raised her eyebrows at the girl.

When at last she was satisfied with her stash of dangerous weaponry, Fiona tucked it all under her arm, took her tray in both hands, and went to sit down. It was then that she noticed Nita (had she been there the whole time? It was like she'd suddenly appeared!) and went over to join her. "Hey!" Fee said cheerfully, much like someone who had not in fact stored away steak knives for safekeeping. "I haven't seen you since-" she stopped. "Yeah. Anyways. The way that ended really sucked. Oh well, remember my mistakes and move on, eh? So what have you been up to?" For whatever reason, the dark circles and rumpled state of her hair didn't really match her chipper tone of voice.

Nita took a bite of her sandwich, waiting for Fiona to realize she had company. Or a witness? "Afternoon, Sunshine," she said, noting the disparity between Fee's appearance and her apparent mood.

"Hm, yeah, that was an.. interesting night," Nita said carefully. Although the night before had been even more interesting... "Eh, not much. Reading and stuff. I finally got bookshelves in my duplex. Apparently they forgot to put them in mine, so all my books were on the floor." She trailed off, realizing she was babbling, and took another few bites of sandwich.

"That sucks," she said, realising too late she had neglected to find a fork to eat her salad with. Oh well. Instead she procured a stick of celery and began munching on it between sentences. "So you're a big reader, then? I never really did a lot of reading- I get distracted too easily. Except when I was little, apparently, I liked it when people read stories to me." Fiona got comfortable in her seat, leaning back precariously on two chair legs. "I hate those books in school you have to read for ISUs, and then write an essay about. Presentations I can do just fine- essays not so much."

"Need a fork?" Nita asked, pushing hers across the table. "I picked one up automatically but I don't really need it."

She nodded, resisting the temptation to tell Fiona she'd fall if she wasn't careful. "I grew up with my dad reading to me, and I was an English major. Essays I can do, but I get nervous doing presentations." Nita grinned, knowing that Fiona didn't mind being in the spotlight.

"Eh, well," she said with a shrug, accepting the fork gladly, "I like to talk. But I figure you already knew that, eh?" Fiona grinned broadly, digging into her salad. As she did so, the girl paused to comment, "Did you know that more than half of the fat people take in from salads is from the dressing? Those little packages you can get are like... pure fat. It's gross." She pulled a face, putting the shallow bowl onto her lap in order to tilt onto only one chair leg, keeping herself up by counter-balancing her weight with her knee underneath the table. It was a miracle she was still alive, because there was a certain natural, unconcious air about the way she did it that implied the girl sat this way most of her lifetime.

Nita snickered. "No, really? I'd never noticed," she said drily.

"Aww, but I like my ranch dressing." Nita made a fake pouty face. "And I put egg and cheese on my salads, too. Doesn't seem to have affected me too poorly." She looked down at her (mostly nonexistant) breasts and thin waist.

Fiona's method of sitting (used loosely) made Nita nervous, and she opened and closed her mouth a few times, deliberating. "Ya know, if you fall over, I'll help you up, but I'm gonna have to laugh at you," she said solemnly, although a tiny smile lurked around the corners of her lips.

Fiona snickered, her expression brightening. "I'm good for a bit. When my legs get tired I'll go back to sitting the boring way. Just look out when I'm really excited or really bored, sometimes I try to spin myself on one leg of the chair. Sometimes it works, and sometimes I end up with a chair leg up my nose and my arms bent backwards." She smirked.

"It's fine to eat fatty junk if you get it off later. But people who sit around all day and watch T.V. are just gonna get fat. Then they're all 'I'm eating a salad so that's healthy! Yay me!' but then slather it with dressing. Everyone's a hypocrite."

"Oh that sounds pleasant," Nita giggled, absently wondering if chair legs up her nose might explain some of Fee's insanity. Not in a bad way, of course, but it was an amusing thought.

"Or like people who drive through McDonald's, get a large fries and a Big Mac, and a Diet Coke." She grinned guiltily. "Although I do drink diet soda, so I guess I'm not one to talk."

Nita eyed the napkin full of knives again, not sure if she really wanted to ask, but... "So what have you been up to?" she asked, a bit warily.

"Not all that much, actually. Hanging out in my room, chatting with Annie, eating, sleeping. I'm kind of mad at myself for being such a baby about the whole party thing." Fiona bristled. "But damn, I wish people like Awen and Lauren would just shut up. It was my freaking party. I should have just kicked them out before something like that could happen."

Nita nodded, her own time being spent pretty much the same way, although she had also been out and about a fair bit.

"I dunno, it was pretty fun, other than that last little bit. 'I Never' is an amusing game, although I got thirsty." Nita made a self-deprecating face. "Seems there's a lot I've never done."

She frowned when Fee mentioned kicking Awen and Lauren out. "I dunno, they're not so bad. I mean, they have their reasons for what they said..." Her voice trailed off, not particularly wanting to mention how she knew that.

Fiona scoffed openly, her mind not really registering that Nita was defending them. "Reasons? Like what, being completely smashed?" She frowned, tilting back and forth on her chair. "Well Lauren isn't free from that excuse. You know the first time I met her, and remember that she was completely sober, she like, attacked me. Seriously. Claws and fangs and animal-like-s**t. All I did was say how it was ******** up that people were tricked and kidnapped and how the scientists were all messed up in the head!" She paused, "Which I seriously thought would be the general agreement around here. Considering we're all turning into freaking animals."

Nita bit her lip, not wanting to make excuses for Lauren, but also unwilling to let her be attacked, however vicariously. "Look, hey, I don't like this either. D'you think I really want to be here for the rest of my life, being turned into a red panda? But," she paused a moment, thinking out her wording. "For some people.. it really is better here." She sighed, hoping Fiona would be willing to hear her out at least.

Her expression became solemn and the front of her seat came down for a gentle landing so that she could lean across the table a little. "That doesn't make it right." This seemed to be enough of a defense for Fiona's opinion, and so she fell silent as she finished up her salad and began to gnaw thoughtfully on the end of a carrot. After a moment, she said, "And that doesn't change the fact that she freaking attacked me. I don't like her."

Nita sighed again, although some very irrelevant part of her was relieved that Fiona wasn't sitting so precariously. "I know it's not right, and it's certainly not legal. If it were, it would be publicized, and maybe people could volunteer instead of being tricked or whatever." She tucked her feet up, Indian style, which was more comfortable for her.

"I'm sorry she attacked you, and it seems the feeling is mutual; she doesn't like you either. But it still doesn't give you the right to talk s**t about her, or say that she's crazy. That's not right either." Nita bit her lip to keep from saying too much more. So much for not taking sides...

"Talk s**t?" She repeated incredulously. "If I randomly tried to bite you and rip your neck open for having an opinion, you'd think I was ******** bonkers, wouldn't you?" Fiona's temper began to become aroused, but more evident than that was the hurt expression that touched her face at being 'betrayed' by one of the few people she had come to trust.

Nita put her head in her hands and shook her head slowly. This was not going well. "Fine," she shot back, "I'd think you were nuts. But maybe your opinions struck a little too close to home. Maybe you should try knowing people instead of just assuming they'll agree with you." Her brows knitted together, deliberately avoiding looking Fee in the face. Nita was anything but confrontational, and she really didn't feel like crying in the middle of the cafeteria.

Fiona looked at her closely, shocked. "Maybe you're right. But normally some things are okay to assume. Like if I hit five people in the hand with a hammer without warning them or giving them a choice, would you expect any of them to like it?" But the fire had left her voice, and Fee sighed, turning her eyes away. "I can't... this is just... stupid."

Nita almost laughed at that. "You're right," she said softly. "It is stupid, and I didn't mean to yell at you..." She stared at the crust of her sandwich, guiltily. "I guess we're both scared and frustrated... At least I am," she admitted, apparently fascinated by some crumbs on the table.

"I'm not afraid of anything," she said in response, puffing up slightly but lacking her customary devilish grin. "But I get frustrated and sad and stuff just like everyone else." Fiona looked off into space across the cafeteria. "I miss my parents, my friends, my life. But I won't let that stop me from being who I am. From fighting against this in any way I can. I won't lose hope." A pause, and then she looked back at Nita. "But I don't want to lose any of the few friends I have here, either."

Right. Fiona wasn't afraid, and Nita's name was Mud. All posing aside, the rest of what Fiona said seemed sincere. "I think," Nita said carefully, "There's more to it here than basic Right or Wrong, Black and White, etc. etc. We all have to deal with this crap our own way, and still find friends, even though we don't necessarily see eye-to-eye." Nita nodded slowly and attempted a smile.

She finished off her carrot and stood suddenly, taking her bundle of napkins under her arm. "I'm going to go back to my room. I have some stuff I wanna do..." she paused, wondering if she should tell Nita. If she was friends with Lauren and Awen... probably not. Plus there was the matter of cameras in the cafeteria. A compulsive shudder ran down her spine. "I hate cameras so much thanks to this place," she mumbled to herself. "But... I think I'm gonna go."

"I already hated cameras," Nita muttered. For her, it was the constant surveillance that was the most unnerving about the Island. She stood as well, figuring she wasn't going to eat the rest of her sandwich, which was a bit dry anyway. She should take something back to her duplex for Lauren, though, if she was still there. "I guess I'll see you around though, Fee."

"Yeah," she mumbled, feeling the remainder of anger and surprise melt away, leaving the slightest bit of guilt. "I don't want to make you pick sides," she said quickly, "but I don't want you getting confused and thinking that I'm the bad guy." With that out of the way, Fiona was free to march out of the cafeteria, considering her concerns adressed. "I'll see you later," she called over her shoulder, and then went off in a direction away from the duplexes.

Nita frowned slightly but nodded anyway. "Right," she said, as if she were trying to convince herself. She watched Fiona leave, and once she was safely out of sight, Nita put together a couple of sandwiches, grabbed a soda and various snack-foods for Lauren. Pushing away her own vague sense of guilt, Nita walked slowly back to her duplex.

Nita will probably spend most of her time in her duplex, reading and listening to music. She might also do a bit of writing. She's been staying up later into the night and taking walks along the beach around sunset. Her visits to the cafeteria are sporadic, and she usually stocks up on food for her minifridge.

Sunlight streamed through the window, making dust motes visible, dancing across the room. Nita groaned and rolled over. The alarm clock next to her bed was blinking 12:00. The power was back. The sun was shining. What day was it? How long had she slept? She pushed herself up and scrubbed at her face with her one hand. She stopped. There were traces of dirt under her fingernails.

Nita flung herself out of bed, legs wobbling, even under her slight weight. Standing in front of the mirror in the bathroom, she inspected herself carefully. Her hair was frizzed out, as if she had been zapped by lightning, or attacked by an over-zealous beautician. Faint smudges of dirt greyed her face. The jeans in the hamper beside the sink were soaked and muddy. Twigs littered the floor. Why hadn't she cleaned up? And where had the mess come from? She shuddered and turned on the shower. Hot water. Good.

Stripping, Nita stepped into the bathtub gratefully and began to soap herself. Her skin tingled occasionally, which was awfully disconcerting. Rumors of a microchip allowing the doctors to put any Islander under floated through her mind. She hadn't done anything... had she? She shivered under the hot spray.

Finally feeling clean, Nita dried off and dressed. Her hand brushed against her shoulder absently. A welt. A puncture wound. Nita sat down suddenly as her knees gave way beneath her. She held her head in her hands as memory crashed around her.

Nita, in fact, had been cleaning her bathroom when the sound of an all-too-familiar voice came through the door. "Just a minute!" she yelled back. She brushed her hair out of her face and pulled herself up.

"Hey Alec," she muttered, peering through the partially-opened door. Nita eyed his footwear and sighed. Maybe he'd get the point and leave them outside.

"I was cleaning the bathroom," she replied. No? He wasn't going to get the unspoken request? Nita suppressed the desire to roll her eyes. "Yeah, sure, come on in." Nita opened the door the rest of the way.

"That was one hell of a storm, yeah?" She sat carefully on the edge of her bed (obviously newly made-up), vaguely gesturing at the chair across the room.

Nita winced at the mud from Alec's boots. Ah well, she'd get rid of it when she finished with the bathroom. "You're lucky. There was a lot of thunder, and the power went out."

She nodded sympathetically. Her head didn't hurt, but she still felt weird. Tingly. "I've got ibuprofen, if you want some..." she offered.

Nita stared at Alec for a moment before going to the bathroom to retrieve the pain-relievers. Had he seriously slept for the better part of three days? "Here," she said, dropping a couple of pills into his hand. "There's soda in the fridge."

She sat down again and watched him carefully. 'Yeah, the power went out, and then it came back, but only some. Like it was on a generator or something." Nita shrugged. Other than that, she had no idea what had happened. "No, I haven't been out yet."

Nita nodded. "I may do that in a bit. The past few days have been... weird." She shrugged. "Besides, I really do need to finish cleaning." And mop up the mess you made, she thought, but tactfully didn't say. "Let me know if you find anything out?"